What Are the Different Types of Back Office Jobs?

Back office tasks and work are of paramount importance to the life of any company. The types of back office jobs encompass a wide range of functions, including order fulfillment, customer service and support and even the accounting processes that are essential to tracking the flow of cash in and out of the organizations. Since the concept of the back office focuses on administrative and support positions, there are a number of opportunities with back office careers that make this sort of work ideal for many people.

One of the more common examples of back office jobs are those involved with order fulfillment. This usually includes personnel who are responsible for actually receiving orders from customers or salespeople, checking the availability of the items ordered, then arranging for the order to be filled and shipped. People in these types of back office jobs make it possible for the promises made by the sales team to be honored, and advance the interests of the company by making sure customers are happy with their orders.

Customer service and support is another of the several back office jobs that make a huge difference in the success of a company. Personnel working in these types of positions often are the first to hear when something has not gone well with a client. At their best, customer service personnel are able to calm the client, get to the root causes for the lack of satisfaction, and begin the process of repairing the damaged relationship. Many companies have retained clients because a customer service representative knew how to listen and work through issues with an unhappy customer.

A third class or group of back office jobs has to do with the accounting process. Clerks and others who manage the preparation of accurate records related to both the accounts payables and receivables of the business go a long way toward helping the business remain on solid financial footing. Billing specialists work to make sure invoices go out on time, while clerks assigned to receivables and collections ensure that collected funds are posted to the right accounts. At the same time, clerks who work with accounts payable make sure vendors are paid and that the company is in good standing with its creditors.

Essentially, any type of job within a company that is considered to be administrative in nature can rightly be classed as related to the back office. Depending on the size and complexity of the company organization, there may be a number of highly specialized back office jobs within the structure of the business. Even small businesses will normally have specific back office functions that must be addressed, making it necessary to hire and train qualified personnel to manage those functions.